Latest News from Simon Bridges

This Government continues to show if you’re not on one of its 130 working groups or you disagree with its bad ideas then it’s not willing to listen, Opposition Leader Simon Bridges says.

“Last week it was business groups launching a campaign against the Government’s destructive industrial law changes, and this week it’s school principals demanding a say on the overhaul of NCEA after being shut out of the process by the Government.

“When 40 of Auckland’s school leaders unite to speak on a matter as important as how our kids learn, the Education Minister Chris Hipkins needs to front up and listen to them – and not tell them they can just send in their thoughts on some web portal.

“The views and expertise of New Zealand’s principals matter. They’re at the coalface so they know our education system and they know what’s good for our children and young people far better than Mr Hipkins and his colleagues and the Government needs to recognise that.

“For the Government to refuse to even meet with them is arrogant and putting politics ahead of our children.

“National is open to good ideas but those who know the system best should be involved.

"But just as the Government is dismissing genuine business concerns as ‘junk’ and an issue of ‘perception’ from businesses only, it’s also telling principals that their views don’t matter.

“This a Government which continues to arrogantly show it doesn’t want its ideas challenged and that’s bad for New Zealand.

“National stands with school principals, and with boards of trustees and parents. National’s Education spokesperson Nikki Kaye has written a letter to Mr Hipkins raising the concerns of some principals and highlighting the need for direct engagement.

“Education is a partnership and the Government needs to treat our school principals with respect and listen to what they have to say.”

The worrying increase in strike action under this union-friendly Government will slow our economy, make it harder to do business and affect the access of New Zealanders to public services, Opposition Leader Simon Bridges says.

“After less than nine months of this Government 32,000 workers have been involved in industrial action, or signalled their intention to be – compared to just over 27,000 that undertook strike action in the entire nine years of the previous Government.

“And the strike action is escalating.

“Today 4,000 core public servants at MBIE and IRD as well as 150 Wairarapa meat workers announced they would undertake industrial action, following on from the likes of bus drivers and cinema and port workers who have repeatedly disrupted businesses.

“On top of this, around 49,000 teachers are also considering their options.

“That’s around 81,000 workers involved in or considering strike action this year.

“All this is going to make it harder for New Zealanders to do business and access public services like healthcare.

“National supports higher wages and the average wage increased by $13,000 under the previous Government, but the way to do that is to grow the economy while this unrest unleashed by the Government will just slow it down.

“Already the uncertainty is impacting peoples’ quality of life and ultimately the economy. With business confidence already low Labour needs to put the needs of the public and economy first, not its union backers.

“The situation will only get worse when Labour’s proposed employment law reforms are implemented, which are specifically targeted at strengthening unions and weakening the ability of New Zealanders to run their businesses.”

The Government needs to start thinking about the impact of its tax and bad economic policies on Kiwi families and stop loading the costs on to their weekly bills, Opposition Leader Simon Bridges says.

“The Government’s policies are costing Kiwi families over $100 a week and that’s an unacceptable burden on New Zealanders who are trying to get ahead.

“The biggest immediate hit will come from the double whammy of the new petrol taxes, with the legislation to impose it progressing through Parliament this week. Nationwide petrol tax increases at the same time as a new regional fuel tax that is already being felt around the country, together adding around $15 a week to the cost of living, is too tough.

“And it’s on top of already rising fuel prices. The Government needs to cancel it and get the transport agency and Auckland Council to do a lot better job of prioritising their spending.

“Today we also have confirmation from the University of Otago that basic healthy food costs for a family of four in Auckland, Wellington and Dunedin increased by up to $21 a week over the past year. Much of this is due to the higher costs flowing from government policies and regulations, in addition, new fuel taxes are only going to push prices up further.

“You also have rents rising by an average of $20 a week and that will only get worse as Labour drives mum and dad investors out of the housing market with its changes to tax policy and more regulation. And its restrictions on overseas investment and the increasing uncertainty around KiwiBuild policy will slow housing construction and drive prices up further.

“On top of that every middle income family is missing out on the thousand dollars a year – or $40 a week that Labour cancelled to give money to first year university students. That is money these families could have used right now.

“Finally, with slowing GDP growth leaving families around $10 a week worse off, and fewer jobs being created as a result of this Government’s low growth policies, there will be fewer opportunities for New Zealanders to get ahead.

My time as Economic Development Minister underlined for me the importance of the primary sector and regional New Zealand.

There can be a lot of talk from politicians about diversification away from primary industries – moving away from farming into areas like IT and finance.

Promoting other industries is good, but we must remember that you are the engine room of the economy.

Other industries could take lessons from how the primary sector operates.

It is full of people that are outward looking and back themselves.

People who constantly innovate so they can be the best at what they do.

People who care about conservation and the environment.

People who know that if you put in the hard yards, you reap the rewards.

These values are at the heart of what it means to be a New Zealander.

These attitudes are part of the reason why New Zealand is filled with fantastic opportunities right now.

They’re why in the two years before the last election, 10,000 new jobs were being created every month.

Why the average annual income increased by $13,000 between 2008 and 2017 – twice the rate of inflation.

They’re why the proportion of Kiwis in work is the third highest in the developed world.

New Zealand is a successful, prosperous, confident country, filled with people and businesses that can foot it with the best in the world.

I know that as Leader of the Opposition I’m supposed to complain about everything.

But that’s not my style.

I genuinely believe we are doing really well as a country, although we can always do better.

This success wasn’t always the case – ten years ago 30,000 people were leaving New Zealand every year to move to Australia, because that’s where the opportunities were.

As of last year there are more coming the other way.

We’ve made great progress – but we must keep pushing hard to ensure all Kiwis enjoy the gains.

I’m concerned that more and more of the Ardern-Peters Government’s policies will put those opportunities at risk.

While they talk a lot about good intentions, the policies like higher fuel taxes and a reversion to 1970s style pay agreements are anti-growth. They’ll shut down opportunities for our young people to get a job, and they’ll increase costs on New Zealand families.

Almost half of businesses believe the economy will deteriorate over the next six months. Half. That’s not an environment where people are hiring another employee or investing for growth.

I talked about values earlier, and there is one other value that I believe makes New Zealand so special.

And that’s our belief in doing the right thing, in giving a helping hand to those in need.

People like the single parent who needs taxpayer support to help raise their children.

And the worker who has just been laid-off and is trying but struggling to find their next job.

Most recently we’ve seen it in the primary sector too, with the M Bovis outbreak.

This is an extremely challenging time for farmers and the rural community.

These are animals that you have bred and cared for, and now your livelihoods are on the line.

I’m not going to dwell on how we got where we are, but I am pleased that farmers finally have certainty.

I feel for those who are having their stock culled – truly taking one for the team

For National’s part, we’re not going to play politics with this issue. That’s my commitment to you.

Our primary sector team of MPs, led by Nathan Guy, is here to support farming families and to advocate for you through this painful process.

I want to talk about more than just M Bovis today.

You know we always have to look ahead – to next year and the year after, to how you want your farm to be operating in five years’ time, and perhaps even to how your children and grandchildren could take over one day.

Just like you, much of what I do is driven by what I want for my kids when they grow up.

My wife Natalie and I have three amazing young children. Emlyn who is six, Harry who’s four, and little Jemima who is a whole six months old.

As a politician sometimes there are sacrifices you make, and that includes spending less time with your children.

But it also means that when I go to Parliament, I’m driven by the desire to make New Zealand an even better place for all our kids when they grow up.

One of the big long-term challenges we face is protecting the environment.

In a hundred years, when we’re all long gone, I want to be sure our grandchildren will be living in a New Zealand that is still the envy of the world because of its stunning natural environment as well as its prosperity.

I want them to live in a pristine New Zealand, where they can take their children to swim at Piha, or tramp in the Waitakere ranges like I did growing up.

I want our grandchildren to know that all of us have done what we can to protect the environment - our most precious natural resource.

I doubt there are any New Zealanders who don’t think like this.

We can have the best sportspeople, the finest scholars, and the most innovative entrepreneurs.

We can have a world class economy and the prosperity to pay for education, hospitals, infrastructure, social services and care for our vulnerable.

But none of that is worthwhile if we haven’t protected the natural environment as well.

I’ve charged our environmental MPs, led by Scott Simpson, Todd Muller, Sarah Dowie and Erica Stanford with the task of modernising our approach to environmental issues. To run a ruler over our policies. To ask the questions and to push us harder.

And that is also true of climate change.

I know there might be some surprises about a National leader talking about climate change at Fieldays.

But I know this sector is committed to conservation and environmental sustainability.

You don’t get enough credit for that.

We’re not doing anyone any favours if we can’t have a robust conversation about the steps we need to take to protect our natural resources.

New Zealand feeds the world. We produce more food per person than any other OECD country.

Unfortunately being a large food producer means our per capita emissions are high.

But we are also the most efficient food producers. The world needs to be fed and we know how to do it well.

But simply being the most efficient isn’t enough. We need to do more to reduce emissions further. I know that, and every farmer I talk to knows that too.

Despite our small individual profile of one fifth of one per cent of global emissions, our size does not abdicate us from our responsibility.

National recognises the importance to New Zealanders – present and future – of addressing climate change, and playing our part in the global response.

That is a big deal. In the previous 18 years emissions increased by 25 per cent.

But we now need to wrestle them down further.

I am proud to have been a part of the previous National Government which signed New Zealand up to the Paris agreement with its ambitious challenge of reducing our emissions to 30 per cent less than 2005 levels by 2030.

I was there in Paris as the Associate Minister for Climate Change Issues and I stand by our commitment.

It will be challenging to achieve, and will require an adjustment to our economy. But we must do so.

In order to drive long-lasting change, broad and enduring political support is needed for New Zealand’s climate change framework – on the institutional arrangements we put in place to support a reduction in emissions.

Both the Productivity Commission and Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment were clear about this.

Stability is required to allow people and businesses to plan and respond.

It requires a consensus between the major political parties on the overall framework through which we address climate change issues.

Today I have written to the Prime Minister and James Shaw, offering to work with them to establish an independent, non-political Climate Change Commission.

I want to work with the Government to make meaningful bi-partisan progress on climate change.

This will be challenging. It will require compromises on both sides.

It will require us all to listen and engage respectfully.

But the prize is too great not to try, and the consequences on our economy, jobs and the environment are too serious if we don’t do so responsibly.

The Climate Change Commission would support New Zealand’s emission reductions by both advising the Government on carbon budgets, and holding the Government to account by publishing progress reports on emissions.

The Commission would be advisory only, with the Government of the day taking final decisions on both targets and policy responses.

There are a number of details I want to work through with the Government before the Commission is launched – such as ensuring the Commission has appropriate consideration for economic impacts as well as environmental, and that the process for appointments to the Commission is also bipartisan.

But I am confident that we can work constructively together to establish an enduring non-political framework for all future governments when considering climate change issues.

But just getting the institutional arrangements right isn’t going to be enough – the question is the steps we take to reduce emissions over time.

And of course there will be ongoing debate about what is and isn’t appropriate. It is right there will be different views on this.

National want practical, sensible solutions, not extreme policies that could damage the economy and unnecessarily drive up costs for Kiwi households.

National has five principles that we believe should guide New Zealand in moving to a low carbon economy, to help ensure economic growth and improving the environment go hand in hand.

Firstly, I want New Zealand to take a pragmatic, science-based approach to tackling climate change.

We will get better results focusing on what works.

Success comes in tangible improvements to the environment, not how closely we can stand by a particular ideology.

Our second principle is that innovation and technology will be crucial to meeting any target.

Technological change will drive much of the solution to climate change – and a National government I lead will invest more in this.

We are already seeing opportunities to shift our transport sector to renewable energy through the uptake of electric vehicles.

And at Oxford University they’re developing natural gas electricity generation that actually strips carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.

Our third principle is that we need to get the incentives right to drive long-term changes rather than imposing short-term shocks.

Households and businesses, scientists and entrepreneurs should all contribute to a low-carbon solution.

The best way to do that is to continue to use market-based price signals such as the ETS where it helps to drive behaviour change.

But we should also recognise that where technology does not exist to mitigate emissions, adding a tax just makes that industry worse off without reducing global emissions.

Fourth, New Zealand must act, but never in isolation.

Climate change is a global issue that requires a global response.

Moving ahead of other countries risks pushing industries from New Zealand to overseas – meaning we simply export emissions offshore rather than driving global change.

That’s exactly what we’ve seen with the Government’s oil and gas decision – ending natural gas exploration here will simply result in more coal being burnt in China, actually increasing global emissions.

And finally, we must always consider the wider impacts on the economy – on jobs and incomes for New Zealanders.

The solution cannot be limited to driving up costs on New Zealand households so they use less energy.

We can and must ensure that the environment and the economy are mutually supportive.

These five principles:

science-based

technology driven

long-term incentives

global response, and

economic impact

will inform the work we do on policies to reduce emissions.

That applies to future targets for emission reductions.

The previous Government set an ambitious 2050 target for emissions reductions, which will already be challenging to achieve. Any change would need to meet the test of the principles I have set out.

Similarly, those five principles are the tests that need to be met before agriculture faces costs under the ETS.

The policy doesn’t currently meet that threshold.

On science, the main emission from agriculture is short-lived methane, not long-lived carbon dioxide. The two gasses should be treated differently – as recommended recently by the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment and the Productivity Commission.

On incentives, the current lack of mitigation options means the only behaviour change it will likely drive is the culling of herds – which risks simply moving food production overseas, where taxes haven’t been imposed. Moving from efficient Kiwi farmers like you, to offshore farms that pollute more.

Each of these factors may change over time – so while it doesn’t meet the threshold now, it may do in the future.

Ladies and gentlemen.

I am very upbeat about the agriculture sector’s capacity to deliver a less carbon intensive future, and continue to showcase our innovation to the world – if we stick to a science-based, technology-driven, global response.

I believe Government should partner with the primary sector to develop practices and technologies to improve our environmental footprint

Addressing climate change isn’t easy. We all know that.

But if we are all pulling in the same direction we can make a difference and ensure that our beautiful natural environment is preserved for our grandchildren and their grandchildren.

There isn’t a silver bullet solution to environmental problems. It’s always complex, but there’s never any answer unless you prioritise the problem.

Today in a keynote speech at the 50th Annual Agricultural Fieldays Opposition Leader Simon Bridges has taken a significant step toward a bipartisan approach to climate change policy.

“Today I have written to the Prime Minister and Minister for Climate Change offering to work with them to establish an independent, non-political Climate Change Commission which would support emissions reductions by both advising on carbon budgets and publishing progress reports on emissions,” Mr Bridges says.

“National recognises the importance to New Zealanders – current and future – of addressing climate change and responsibly playing our part in a global response.

“Long-lasting change requires broad and enduring support, so I want to work with the Government to make meaningful bipartisan progress on climate change.

“This will be challenging and require compromises on both sides. But the prize is too great not to try, and the consequences on our economy, jobs and the environment are too serious if we don’t do so responsibly.

“The design of the Commission will be critical, but both the Productivity Commission and Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment have offered a clear steer as to what they see as an enduring model to drive long-lasting change.

“I am confident that we can work constructively together to establish an enduring non-political framework for all future governments when considering climate change issues.

Mr Bridges also said that simply getting the institutional arrangements such as carbon budgets right isn’t enough – we also need to address the specific policy choices that will be taken to reduce emissions over time.

“Of course there will be ongoing debate and differing views about what steps are appropriate. National want to see sensible, practical solutions, not extreme policies that would damage the economy and unnecessarily drive up costs for Kiwi households.

“National have a core set of principles that will guide the work we do on climate change:

taking a pragmatic, science-based approach,

utilising innovation and technology,

getting the incentives right to drive long-term change rather than short-term shocks

acting as part of a global response, and

considering the wider impacts on the economy, jobs and incomes

“Addressing climate change isn’t easy. We all know that.

“But if we are all pulling in the same direction we can help ensure that our beautiful natural environment is preserved for our grandchildren and their grandchildren,” Mr Bridges says.

News that the Ardern-Peters Government is adding only half the prison beds needed to keep our most serious offenders locked up confirms it will be softening bail, parole and sentencing laws and putting New Zealanders at risk, Opposition Leader Simon Bridges says.

“This clumsy and incompetent Government is failing its most fundamental obligation and that’s to keep New Zealanders safe.

“Adding only 600 beds at Waikeria Prison will mean the Government simply can’t lock away all the serious offenders it needs to and more serious offenders will be free in the community.

“It means the Government is going to make it harder for police and the courts to send criminals to prison and allow serious offenders to get out sooner – all because the Government is trying to save money by not building a new, much-needed prison.

“National knew what needed doing.

“We had committed to building a new 1500-bed facility at Waikeria, based on forecast growth in the prison population.

“Recent conservative estimates put the forecast prison population at 12,500 by 2026 – around 2000 more than now – and that doesn’t include the 900 more beds the Government has been told it will need as a result of having more police on the streets.

“That means New Zealand will be hundreds of prison beds short of what’s needed.

“The Government’s pledge to cut prison numbers by a third is reckless.

“Its own figures show 98 per cent of people in our prisons are there for Category 3 and Category 4 crimes. These are the most serious offences, like murder, sexual violence and Class A drug dealing.

“The Government needs to explain how it is going to pick and choose which of our most serious offenders will be let loose on our communities because it’s decided the safety of New Zealanders isn’t a priority.

“When the Government has $1 billion to spend on diplomats and $2.8 billion to make university free there is no excuse for not building the prison beds needed to keep New Zealanders safe. ”

The Government’s hapless handling of its ‘justice reforms’ has continued, with incoming Prime Minister Winston Peters now saying Three Strikes might still be axed, Opposition Leader Simon Bridges says.

“Just two weeks ago, Justice Minister Andrew Little said Three Strikes was going and he had the full support of Labour’s Coalition partners to axe it. Then in an embarrassing back down yesterday he said it wasn’t happening because he’d spoken out of turn.

“Then when it looked like it couldn’t get any messier, this morning the Prime Minister said in one media interview it wasn’t happening only for Mr Little to say in the next that no, it still might be - in spite of NZ First saying it was off the table.

“That might have been the end of it, and if the Government took the safety of New Zealanders seriously it would be. But in Parliament this afternoon Mr Peters changed his mind and said the policy is in fact still up for future consideration.

“He went on to admit that decisions like repealing (or not repealing) Three Strikes and banning oil and gas exploration were typical of this Government – decisions made on the fly, without expert advice or consultation.

“Well that’s hugely worrying because this is not how you should make decisions which affect peoples’ lives.

“What an incompetent shambles.

“With confirmation from the incoming Prime Minister that Three Strikes is back on the table, we can be sure this Government will be moving towards loosening up our bail, sentencing and parole laws too.

“That’s going to make New Zealanders less safe. It’s clear that despite the previous rhetoric from NZ First, only National will be tough on crime and put victims first.”

The Prime Minister is misleading New Zealanders by falsely claiming prisons are full of low level offenders in order to try and justify the mess her Government is making on law and order and its refusal to build a new prison, Opposition Leader Simon Bridges says.

“The Government’s handling of proposed changes to our justice system has been nothing short of incompetent, as it tries to find an excuse not to build a new prison to lock away our most serious offenders.

“Things have gotten so desperate that to try and paper over her hapless Justice Minister’s broken promise to repeal Three Strikes, the Prime Minister is falsely claiming New Zealand’s prisons are full of low level offenders. That’s simply not true.

“The Government’s own figures show that 98 per cent of prisoners are locked up for Category 3 and Category 4 crimes. These are offences punishable by two years in prison or more. These include murder, manslaughter, rape, aggravated assault and sexual violence.

“These are not low level offences and the Prime Minister is wrong to say otherwise.

“It is also worth noting that people on remand or serving sentences in New Zealand prisons have an average of 46 convictions on their criminal record.

“The fact is only our most serious and repeat offenders are locked up and they must continue to be, and the only way that will happen is if the new prison is built.

“If the Government chooses not to, Mr Little has made clear that he will instead make it easier for criminals to get out of prison and harder for our police and courts to put them there in the first place.

“That is only going to make New Zealand communities less safe.

“We know the Government has made a decision on whether or not to build Waikeria Prison but the Prime Minister has said she won’t tell us yet. So what will it be, Prime Minister? Waikeria Prison, or making Kiwis less safe?”

The Government’s embarrassing back down on Three Strikes has underlined the cracks in the Coalition and shown just how little thought is going into decisions which directly affect the lives of New Zealanders, Opposition Leader Simon Bridges says.

“Just days after defiantly promising to repeal the Three Strikes law, Justice Minister Andrew Little has been hauled into line and revealed to have been making promises he simply hadn’t done the work to be able to keep.

“And what is genuinely concerning is the embarrassing back down comes a week after it was confirmed the Government hadn’t even bothered to seek advice or follow due process before axing oil and gas exploration.

“It’s policy on the hoof and shows why Labour is so reluctant to make decisions and is instead sending everything to working groups – 122 and counting.

“When they do try and make a decision they make a mess instead.

“All along the Government’s approach to law and order has been reckless. It has promised to cut the prison population by a third because it doesn’t want to build Waikeria Prison but it has no plan aside from making it harder to send offenders to prison and making it easier for those already there to get out.

“Now the Coalition parties have been found to not even be talking to each other and Andrew Little’s comments about Three Strikes have been shown to be ill-advised bluster.

“These are incredibly serious matters but this is amateur hour stuff from a Government quickly proving its incompetence. It’s an unacceptable way of making decisions which will have a real impact on the lives of New Zealanders – in this case making them less safe.

“National will be tough on crime. We will hold offenders to account, we will build Waikeria Prison and we will ensure we make decisions, and do the work, in the best interests of New Zealanders.”

Plummeting business confidence should be sending shivers down the spines of Government ministers, with Auckland businesses sending a clear signal that Government policies are taking the economy in the wrong direction, Opposition Leader Simon Bridges says.

“Almost half of Auckland businesses surveyed by the Auckland Business Chamber believe that the economy is going to deteriorate over the next six months.

“That’s compared to just 8 per cent this time last year under the National Government.

“This ‘free fall’ in business confidence is a direct result of the poor decisions and uncertainty created by the Ardern-Peters Government which has done nothing to give businesses a boost.

“With 122 working groups or reviews set up in the last eight months, it’s easy to see why businesses don’t have confidence in the Government’s ability to make decisions.

“When it does make decisions, they’re bad. Anti-business and anti-growth policies continue to mount – like giving more power to the unions at the expense of workers, taxing more for petrol, or slashing foreign investment.

“For the last few years, New Zealand’s economy has been the envy of the world.

“But deteriorating business confidence will mean lower investment, fewer jobs and less money for public services – undoing all the good work of hardworking Kiwis over the last decade.